Tangential cutting insert and milling cutter

Abstract

A tangential milling cutting insert has two identical opposing end surfaces with two identical opposing major side surfaces of a generally parallelogrammatic shape and two identical opposing minor side surfaces extending between them. An ambidextrous tangential cutting insert has two non-identical end surfaces and two opposing major side surfaces of a generally trapezoidal nature. In either cutting insert, each end surface has a peripheral cutting edge and four corners of which two diagonally opposed corners are lowered and the other two are raised. Each end surface comprises four separate planar regions arranged in pairs, the planar regions do not protrude relative to the surrounding end surface and the two planar regions of a given pair of planar regions slope in opposite directions with respect to a median plane of the cutting insert.

1. A tangential cutting insert for use in a milling cutter, comprising:
 two identical opposing end surfaces, each end surface having a generally rectangular shape in an end view of the cutting insert; 
 each end surface having four corners, two diagonally opposed lowered corners and two diagonally opposed raised corners, the lowered corners being closer to a median plane M of the cutting insert than the raised corners, the median plane M being located between the opposing end surfaces; 
 a peripheral side surface extending between the two opposing end surfaces, the peripheral side surface comprising two identical opposing major side surfaces of a generally parallelogrammatic shape connected to two opposing minor side surfaces; and 
 a peripheral cutting edge formed at the intersection of each end surface and the peripheral side surface, each peripheral cutting edge including major cutting edges formed at the intersection of the major side surfaces and with an end surface; 
 wherein each end surface comprises four separate planar abutment regions, none of the four planar abutment regions being parallel to the median plane M. 
 
   
   
     2. The cutting insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the four planar abutment regions of a given end surface are arranged in pairs, one pair being located on one side of a major plane P 2  of the cutting insert, the other pair being located on the other side of the major plane P 2 , the major plane P 2  being located between the major side surfaces and being perpendicular to the median plane. 
   
   
     3. The cutting insert according to  claim 2 , wherein the two planar abutment regions comprising a given pair of planar abutment regions located on a given side of the major plane P 2 , are located on opposite sides of a minor plane P 1 , the minor plane P 1  being located between the minor side surfaces and being perpendicular to the median plane M and to the major plane P 2 . 
   
   
     4. The cutting insert according to  claim 3 , wherein the two planar abutment regions comprising a given pair of planar abutment regions are non-parallel to each other. 
   
   
     5. The cutting insert according to  claim 4 , wherein the two planar abutment regions of the given pair of planar abutment regions, slope in opposite directions with respect to the median plane M. 
   
   
     6. The cutting insert according to  claim 1 , wherein in each cross section of the cutting insert taken in a plane parallel to the minor plane P 1  of the cutting insert, the end surface has a smoothly varying profile. 
   
   
     7. The cutting insert according to  claim 1 , wherein none of the four planar abutment regions protrudes relative to the surrounding end surface. 
   
   
     8. The cutting insert according to  claim 1 , wherein each one of the four planar abutment regions of each end surface is elongated in form having two long edges extending between two short edges. 
   
   
     9. The cutting insert according to  claim 8 , wherein the two long edges are parallel to the major plane P 2 . 
   
   
     10. The cutting insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the major and minor side surfaces are connected at corner side surfaces. 
   
   
     11. The cutting insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the cutting insert is a right-handed cutting insert. 
   
   
     12. The cutting insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the cutting insert is a left-handed cutting insert. 
   
   
     13. A tangential cutting insert, for use in a milling cutter, comprising:
 two identical opposing end surfaces, each end surface having a generally rectangular shape in an end view of the cutting insert; 
 each end surface having four corners, two diagonally opposed lowered corners and two diagonally opposed raised corners, the lowered corners being closer to a median plane M of the cutting insert than the raised corners, the median plane M being located between the opposing end surfaces; 
 a peripheral side surface extending between the two opposing end surfaces, the peripheral side surface comprising two identical opposing major side surfaces of a generally parallelogrammatic shape connected to two opposing minor side surfaces; and 
 a peripheral cutting edge formed at the intersection of each end surface and the peripheral side surface; 
 wherein each end surface comprises four separate planar abutment regions, none of the four planar abutment regions protruding relative to the surrounding end surface, and wherein, in a cross-section taken in a plane that is perpendicular to the median plane M and that intersects both major side surfaces, each end surface has a smoothly varying cross sectional profile. 
 
   
   
     14. The cutting insert according to  claim 13 , wherein the cutting insert is a right-handed cutting insert. 
   
   
     15. The cutting insert according to  claim 13 , wherein the cutting insert is a left-handed cutting insert. 
   
   
     16. A milling cutter comprising:
 a cutter body comprising at least one insert pocket having adjacent side and rear walls generally transverse to a pocket base, the side wall comprising an axial location surface, the rear wall being provided with two rectangular tangential location surfaces, a first tangential location surface being proximal the axial location surface and a second tangential location surface being distal the axial location surface; 
 a cutting insert seated in the at least one insert pocket, the cutting insert comprising:
 two identical opposing end surfaces, each end surface having a generally rectangular shape in an end view of the cutting insert; 
 each end surface having four corners, two diagonally opposed lowered corners and two diagonally opposed raised corners, the lowered corners being closer to a median plane M of the cutting insert than the raised corners, the median plane M being located between the opposing end surfaces; 
 a peripheral side surface extending between the two opposing end surfaces, the peripheral side surface comprising two identical opposing major side surfaces of a generally parallelogrammatic shape connected to two opposing minor side surfaces; 
 a peripheral cutting edge formed at the intersection of each end surface and the peripheral side surface; 
 each end surface comprising four separate planar abutment regions arranged in two pairs, a first pair being located on one side of a major plane P 2  of the cutting insert, a second pair being located on the other side of the major plane P 2 , the major plane P 2  being located between the major side surfaces and being perpendicular to the median plane, none of the four planar abutment regions protruding relative to the surrounding end surface, the two planar abutment regions of each pair of abutment regions sloping in opposite directions with respect to the median plane; 
 
 wherein: 
 the axial location surface abuts an axial abutment region of one of the minor side surfaces of the cutting insert, and 
 the two tangential location surfaces abut the planar abutment regions of one of the two pairs. 
 
   
   
     17. The milling cutter according to  claim 16 , wherein the first and second tangential location surfaces are oppositely sloping in a manner that matches the oppositely sloping planar abutment regions of said one of the pairs of planar abutment regions. 
   
   
     18. An ambidextrous tangential cutting insert for use in a milling cutter, comprising:
 two non-identical opposing end surfaces, each end surface having a generally rectangular shape in an end view of the cutting insert; 
 each end surface having four corners, two diagonally opposed lowered corners and two diagonally opposed raised corners, the lowered corners being closer to a median plane M of the cutting insert than the raised corners, the median plane M being located between the opposing end surfaces; 
 a peripheral side surface extending between the two opposing end surfaces, the peripheral side surface comprising two opposing major side surfaces of a generally trapezoidal shape connected to two opposing minor side surfaces; and 
 a peripheral cutting edge formed at the intersection of each end surface and the peripheral side surface, each peripheral cutting edge including major cutting edges formed at the intersection of the major side surfaces and with an end surface; 
 wherein each end surface comprises four separate planar abutment regions, none of the four planar abutment regions being parallel to the median plane M. 
 
   
   
     19. The cutting insert according to  claim 18 , wherein the four planar abutment regions of a given end surface are arranged in pairs, one pair being located on one side of a major plane P 2  of the cutting insert, the other pair being located on the other side of the major plane P 2 , the major plane P 2  being located between the major side surfaces and being perpendicular to the median plane M. 
   
   
     20. The cutting insert according to  claim 19 , wherein the two planar abutment regions comprising a given pair of planar abutment regions located on a given side of the major plane P 2 , are located on opposite sides of a minor plane P 1 , the minor plane P 1  being located between the minor side surfaces and being perpendicular to the median plane M and to the major plane P 2 . 
   
   
     21. The cutting insert according to  claim 20 , wherein the two planar abutment regions comprising a given pair of planar abutment regions are non-parallel to each other. 
   
   
     22. The cutting insert according to  claim 21 , wherein the two planar abutment regions of the given pair of planar abutment regions, slope in opposite directions with respect to the median plane M. 
   
   
     23. The cutting insert according to  claim 18  wherein in each cross section of the cutting insert taken in a plane parallel to the minor plane P 1  of the cutting insert, the end surface has a smoothly varying profile. 
   
   
     24. The cutting insert according to  claim 18  wherein none of the four planar abutment regions protrudes relative to the surrounding end surface. 
   
   
     25. The cutting insert according to  claim 18 , wherein each one of the four planar abutment regions of each end surface is elongated in form having two long edges extending between two short edges. 
   
   
     26. The cutting insert according to  claim 25 , wherein the two long edges are parallel to the major plane P 2 . 
   
   
     27. The cutting insert according to  claim 18  wherein each of the major and minor side surfaces have mirror symmetry about the median plane M. 
   
   
     28. An ambidextrous tangential cutting insert comprising:
 two non-identical opposing end surfaces, each end surface having a generally rectangular shape in an end view of the cutting insert; 
 each end surface having four corners, two diagonally opposed lowered corners and two diagonally opposed raised corners, the lowered corners being closer to a median plane M of the cutting insert than the raised corners, the median plane M being located between the opposing end surfaces; 
 a peripheral side surface extending between the two opposing end surfaces, the peripheral side surface comprising two opposing major side surfaces of a generally trapezoidal shape connected to two opposing minor side surfaces; and 
 a peripheral cutting edge formed at the intersection of each end surface and the peripheral side surface; 
 wherein each end surface comprises four separate planar abutment regions, none of the four planar abutment regions protruding relative to the surrounding end surface, and wherein, in a cross-section taken in a plane that is perpendicular to the median plane M and that intersects both major side surfaces, each end surface has a smoothly varying cross sectional profile. 
 
   
   
     29. A slotting cutter comprising:
 a cutter body comprising at least one insert pocket having adjacent side and rear walls generally transverse to a pocket base, the side wall comprising an axial location surface, the rear wall being provided with two rectangular tangential location surfaces, a first tangential location surface being proximal the axial location surface and a second tangential location surface being distal the axial location surface; 
 an ambidextrous tangential cutting insert seated in the at least one insert pocket, the cutting insert comprising:
 two non-identical opposing end surfaces, each end surface having a generally rectangular shape in an end view of the cutting insert; 
 each end surface having four corners, two diagonally opposed lowered corners and two diagonally opposed raised corners, the lowered corners being closer to a median plane M of the cutting insert than the raised corners, the median plane M being located between the opposing end surfaces; 
 a peripheral side surface extending between the two opposing end surfaces, the peripheral side surface comprising two opposing major side surfaces of a generally trapezoidal shape connected to two opposing minor side surfaces; 
 a peripheral cutting edge formed at the intersection of each end surface and the peripheral side surface; 
 each end surface comprising four separate planar abutment regions arranged in two pairs, a first pair being located on one side of a major plane P 2  of the cutting insert, a second pair being located on the other side of the major plane P 2 , the major plane P 2  being located between the major side surfaces and being perpendicular to the median plane M, none of the four planar abutment regions protruding relative to the surrounding end surface, the two planar abutment regions of each pair of abutment regions sloping in opposite directions with respect to the median plane M; 
 
 wherein: 
 the axial location surface abuts an axial abutment region of one of the minor side surfaces of the cutting insert, and 
 the two tangential location surfaces abut the planar abutment regions of one of the two pairs. 
 
   
   
     30. The slotting cutter according to  claim 29 , wherein the first and second tangential location surfaces are oppositely sloping in a manner that matches the oppositely sloping planar abutment regions of said one of the pairs of planar abutment regions. 
   
   
     31. The slotting cutter according to  claim 29 , wherein the side wall and rear wall of the pocket base form between them an obtuse angle.